Saint-Etienne keep up European bid with win at Metz

Paris: Saint-Etienne kept up their bid for European football next season and added to relegation fears for Metz with a 3-2 victory in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

Leaders Lyon are not in action until Sunday, when they travel to third-placed Marseille who are four points off the pace, while Paris Saint-Germain, one point behind Lyon, travel to sixth-placed Bordeaux. 

It will be the first game for Laurent Blanc`s defending champions, who are in the hunt for four trophies, since their heroic Champions League victory over Chelsea on Wednesday. 

Saint-Etienne move back within a point of fourth-placed Monaco, who crushed Bastia 3-0 on Friday, thanks to goals from Ivory Coast striker Max-Alain Gradel, Mevlut Erding and Yohan Mollo. 

The defeat leaves Metz nine points from safety and in danger or returning to Ligue 2 with just nine matches to save their top flight status. 

Playing later on Saturday, seventh-placed Montpellier host Reims, Lens and Toulouse meet up north in a key relegation battle, Lorient await Caen and Evian travel to Nantes.